It seems to be a foregone conclusion that the Chicago Bears will draft Caleb Williams with the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Not only has Williams long been the heavy betting favorite to be selected No. 1 overall by the Bears, but days after trading former quarterback Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Bears general manager Ryan Poles, head coach Matt Eberflus and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron were prominently in attendance at the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner’s Pro Day Wednesday at USC.
New Bears wide receiver Keenan Allen, a friend of Williams’ from their shared days in Los Angeles when Allen was with the Chargers, was also there, embracing Williams before the quarterback’s on-field drills. But another big-name presumptive future teammate of Williams’ — Bears star cornerback Jaylon Johnson — did not take as welcoming of a posture when asked about Williams in a recent FanDuel TV appearance.
“You just humble yourself coming in the building,” Johnson said. “You can’t bring that Hollywood stuff into the building, especially not with guys who have played this game at a high level for consecutive years in the league. It’s just something that guys like myself, guys like [linebackers] Tremaine [Edmunds], T.J. [Edwards], Keenan Allen, we’re gonna see through that. What you did in college, the Hollywood stuff, it’s like nah, you gotta prove yourself.”
In fairness to Williams, who Colin Cowherd did term as “the original name-image-likeness” star when interviewing the quarterback on “The Herd” this week, he seems to be beloved by his former USC teammates.
[Related: Caleb Williams welcomes Mahomes comp: ‘I don’t like running unless I have to’]
And Johnson did make it clear he would give Williams a chance if Williams arrives in Chicago.
“At the end of the day, we want him to be the absolute best he can be,” Johnson said. “Truly just learning who he is as a person and learning him deeper than all the Hollywood stuff you see, actually trying to get to know him and then from there, knowing what pushes him.”
For instance, Johnson said if trash talk irritates Williams, it will be the Bears defense’s job to trash talk Williams in practice to toughen him up for games.
“That’s our job, that’s our duty as teammates, to make him better and strengthen him,” Johnson said.
Earlier in the offseason, Johnson appeared to be one of the many Bears veterans wary of bringing in a rookie quarterback to replace Fields, telling FOX Sports’ Keyshawn Johnson on Johnson’s podcast, “All Facts No Brakes,” that he believes Fields needs more of a chance to “truly develop” with the Bears.
Bears All-Pro Jaylon Johnson on Justin Fields: ‘He hasn’t had the opportunity’
“I think just going in and saying, ‘Well, just get rid of him, he’s not the answer,’ I don’t think that’s it,” Johnson said then. “I think that’s taking the easy way out.”
Regardless, the Bears have chosen their path forward — as has Johnson, who signed a four-year, $76 million contract extension with the team earlier this offseason, assuring that he will be with Chicago (and, seemingly, Williams) in the long term.
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